Dispensing device

ABSTRACT

THIS INVENTION IS FOR A DISPENSING DEVICE HAVING A FREELY RESTING SHALLOW HEAD SUPPORTED ON CLIPS SPACED AT 120* INTERVALS AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF A SUPPORTING DISK TO WHICH THE CLIPS ARE ATTACHED. THE HEAD IS REMOVED SIMPLY BY APPLYING LIGHT PRESSURE TO ITS PERIPHERY SO THAT IT PIVOTS ON TWEO OF THE THREE SUPPORTING CLIPS AFTER WHICH IT CAN BE SIMPLY LIFTED OUT OF THE DEVICE THEREBY PERMITTING ACCESS TO THE INTERIOR WHERE THE ADJUSTING MECHANISM IS LOCATED. ADJUSTING OF THE DISPENSING RATE TAKES PLACE SIMPLY BY LOOSENING A WINGNUT AND ROTATING THE UPPER SPRING SUPPORTING DISK IN A CLOCKWISE DIRECTION TO RAISE THE DISK AND THE DISPENSING RATE ON A THREADED STUD OR IN A COUNTERCLOCKWISE DIRECTION TO LOWER THE DISPENSING RATE. THE DISPENSER OF THIS INVENTION ALSO FEATURES A SIMPLIFIED CENTRALIZING AND LOCKING MECHANISM.

March 2, 1971 Filed May 16, 1968 FIG. 2

A. SALCMAN DISPENSING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ARTHUR SALCMAN BY 9 MW ATTORNEY March 2, 1.971 A, AL MAN 3,567,293

DISPENSING DEVICE Filed May 16, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. ARTHUR SALCMAN BY y W W... ,z

ATTORNEY United States Patent ()1 fice 3,567,293 DISPENSING DEVICE Arthur Salcman, Old Saybrook, Conn, assiguor to American Machine & Foundry Company Filed May 16, 1968, Ser. No. 729,782 Int. Cl. A47f 1/00; B65g 1/16, 11/00 US. C]. 312-71 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLDSURE This invention is for a dispensing device having a freely resting shallow head supported on clips spaced at 120 intervals around the periphery of a supporting disk to which the clips are attached. The head is removed simply by applying light pressure to its periphery so that it pivots on two of the three supporting clips after which it can be simply lifted out of the device thereby permitting access to the interior where the adjusting mechanism is located. Adjusting of the dispensing rate takes place simply by loosening a wingnut and rotating the upper spring supporting disk in a clockwise direction to raise the disk and the dispensing rate on a threaded stud or in a counterclockwise direction to lower the dispensing rate. The dispenser of this invention also features a simplified centralizing and locking mechanism.

This invention relates to dispensing devices. More particularly, the invention relates to a dispensing device which is capable of being simply and easily adjusted without removal of the adjusting assembly from the container in which it functions.

A particular feature of the invention is the flip type head or carrier for the objects being dispensed and the supports therefor.

The device of the invention presents numerous advantages. For example, the design permits ease of accessibility to the adjusting mechanism which is located at the top of the container. The design further provides a positive locking feature for the adjusting mechanism. In addition, the design permits full and facile cleaning of the device of the invention since the internally contained assembly is simply taken out of the container by removal of the flip top head and lifting out the whole internal assembly. Moreover, the dispensing device of the invention is advantageous from a safety viewpoint since the unit can be assembled, disassembled and adjusted with relative ease in an uncomplicated manner. For example, in many of the known units of this type, it is necessary to have access to the interior of the unit through openings in the bottom or top of the container and to remove the adjustment knob or the like before adjusting or disassembling of the unit. In other known units of this type it is necessary to bounce the spring biased carrier assembly up and down in order to remove it from the container. In such devices the danger of injury is obvious. The present device overcomes these disadvantages and provides a sanitary dispenser 'which is safe, easy to adjust, assemble or disassemble While at the same time functioning with the efliciency exhibited by known devices of this type. In addition, the present invention also provides a device in which the spring assembly can be replaced or exchanged simply by removing the chain as explained more fully hereinafter.

In order to understand the invention more fully, reference is directed to the following description and the accompanying drawings wherein:

3,567,293 Patented Mar. 2, 1971 FIG. 1 is a sectional view in elevation of a device in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view, partially broken away, of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detailed view in perspective, partially broken away, of the adjustment mechanism according to the invention and suitable for use in a smaller type of container; and

FIG. 4 is a detailed view in perspective, partially broken away, of the adjustment mechanism according to the invention which is suitable for a larger type of container and showing modified support clips for the flip head.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a device according to the invention comprising an outer container or shell, generally designated by numeral 13, in the shape of a tube. The shell may be any other convenient shape, however, that is, square, rectangular, triangular, octagonal or otherwise. The container is equipped with a bottom panel 15 which has one or more openings therein for the reception of means for centralizing and locking the internal assembly, such as clip 17 which prevents or limits the internal assembly from rotating beyond a desirable distance. Consequently, the bottom panel may take various shapes, that is, it may be simply a cross bar or merely an extension properly fixed to the shell or container wall and extending across the end of the container a suflicient distance to cooperate with clip 17 and to cover enough of the opening in the shell to engage the clip while at the same time preventing the internal assembly from falling through the bottom of the container when it is lifted. Preferably, however, the bottom panel is generally made to cover the opening in the container and it is provided with a plurality of spaced openings, such as 18, to accommodate the centralizing and locking means, such as the clip. At the top of the container or shell, the body flares outwardly to form a flange 19 which surrounds a generally circular opening 21, regardless of the overall shape of the body. A plurality of guide posts 23, 25 and 27 are located on the flange of the container in order to keep articles to be dispensed in proper stacked relationeship with each other when they protrude above the opening.

Disposed within the interior of the container 13- is the interior assembly, including a flip type head and an adjusting means, as well as the spring means and related parts and the means for limiting the dispensing level and permitting the adjusting function, such as the swivel chain assembly.

The adjusting means includes a weldnut 29 with a flange 31 on the upper end. A disk 33 is permanently fixed to the lower surface of the flange 31 of weldnut 29. It is to be noted, however, in its broadest aspects the invention includes a construction wherein the weldnut is simply fixed to the lower surface of the disk 33. Depending from the weldnut is a threaded stud 35. Stud 35 is preferably permanently fixed to the weldnut although it can be threadably engaged therewith.

A plurality of supporting clips 37 as seen more completely in FIGS. 2 and 3 are fixed to the upper surface of the disk 33 at intervals around the periphery of the disk. The clips 37 support a flip type freely resting shallow dispensing head 39 which is easily removed by application of light force on its periphery causing the head to pivot on two of the clips. The dispensing head may have one or more circular openings (not shown) or the like through its surface for conveniently grasping it when it is tilted. The disposition of the clips 37 at 120 intervals around the periphery of disk 33 provides a strong support for the head 39 While at the same time permitting easy pivoting of the head when light pressure is applied on the periphery thereof, thereby allowing quick and facile access to the interior of the container from the top of the unit where the adjusting means is located. Clips 37 can be made of suitable gauge metal sufficiently heavy to provide the necessary supporting function required. However, where larger dispensing devices are to be employed, it is preferred that clips 37 be modified somewhat to provide addition support as well as to center the interval assembly in the container. Such an arrangement is illustrated in FIG. 4 Where clips 37 turn downwardly as shown at 41 at their outermost limits of extension from disk 33. When the clips are so constructed, the downward extensions thereof should not flare toward the walls of the container more than a maximum of 90 with respect to the plane of disk 33. In such a modification the clips are provided with a permanently fixed reinforcing or supporting ring 43 at their lower extremities to add to their supporting strength as well as to present undue movement more than 90 from the plane of disk 33.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, stud 35 is provided with a freely moving wingnut 45. The wingnut operates to lock the adjusting mechanism as more fully described hereinafter. Disposed below the wingnut 45 on threaded stud 35 is the upper spring disk 47 of the spring assembly. Disk 47 has a centrally located weldnut 49 which permits it to be adjusted along the length of the stud when not locked in position by wingnut 45. Disk 47 is generally larger than the disk 33 to which the supporting clips are attached. However, if not so long that it comes into contact with the container wall, although it has a diameter equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the spring 51 which is permanently fixed to the lower surface of disk 47 at the upper end of the spring. The spring 51 has a disk 53 of similar size fixed to its lower end.

Disk 53 has a centrally located weld stud (not shown) located on its upper surface and locating and locking clip 17 (mentioned above) conveniently located on its lower surface so that the clip can cooperate with openings 18 in bottom panel 15.

Spring 51 will vary in size and strength depending upon the size of the container and the maximum dispensing load to be handled by the device.

Finally, there is provided means for limiting the dispensing level and permitting the adjusting function such as swivel chain 55 having nuts 57 and 59 at each end. Nut 57 is connected to the lower end of stud 35 and nut 59 to the weld stud located on disk 53. Chain 55 is short enough and strong enough to overcome the load on spring 51 compressing it somewhat and thereby limiting the dispensing level and permitting the adjusting function.

Generally, all the elements of the device are made of suitable metal and preferably stainless steel although other types can be employed.

The dispensing mechanism of this invention operates as follows. To adjust the dispensing rate the dispensing head 39 is removed simply by pressing down on the outer edge of the head so that it tilts up and is easily removed. Adjusting the dispensing rate is done by loosening the wingnut 45 and rotating the upper spring supporting disk 47 on threaded stud 35. Rotation in a clockwise direction raises the dispensing level and rate and rotation in a counterclockwise direction lowers the dispensing level and rate. When the proper level and rate is attained, wingnut 45 is retightened by bringing it into contact with the upper surface of the upper spring supporting disk 47 completing the adjustment.

In assembling the mechanism, the internal assembly is simply dropped into the container 13 and rotated until centralizing and locking clip 17 cooperates with one of the openings as shown at 18 thereby preventing further rotation of the assembly and centralizing thereof within the container.

In order to remove the internal assembly the dispensing head 39 is taken off its supporting clips as described hereinabove and the assembly is simply lifted out of the container.

What is claimed is:

1. A dispensing device comprising a container, said container being partially closed at the bottom and having a flanged open top, adjusting means located in said container near the open top, spring means having upper and lower spring supporting disks located in said container below said adjusting means, said adjusting means comprising a central weldnut, a disk aflixed to said weldnut, a threaded adjusting stud depending from said weldnut and a plurality of supporting clips disposed on said adjusting means disk at 120 intervals around the periphery, a flip type freely resting head supported on said clips, the upper spring supporting disk threadably engaged on said stud, means for centralizing and locking against rotation said spring means and said adjusting means located at the bottom of said container and means connected to said threaded stud and lower spring supporting disk for limiting the dispensing level and permitting the adjusting function.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein the clips extend outwardly from the center of said adjusting means disk and downwardly from the outermost limits of their extensions to a maximum of with respect to the plane of said adjusting means disk.

3. A dispensing device comprising a container, said container being partially closed at the bottom and having a flanged open top, adjusting means located in said container near the open top, spring means having upper and lower spring supporting disks located in said container below said adjusting means, said adjusting means comprising a centrally located flanged weldnut, a disk affixed to the bottom surface of said flange, a threaded adjusting stud depending from said weldnut and a plurality of supporting clips disposed on said adjusting means disk at intervals around the periphery, said upper spring supporting disk threadably engaged on said threaded stud, a locking wingnut disposed on said threaded stud above said upper spring supporting disk and adapted to lock said upper disk with said stud, a flip type freely resting head supported on said supporting clips, means for centralizing and locking against rotation said spring means and said adjusting means located at the bottom of said container and means connected to said threaded stud and lower spring supporting disk for limiting the dispensing level and permitting the adjusting function.

4. A dispensing device comprising a container, said container being partially closed at the bottom and having a flanged open top, adjusting means located in said container near the open top, said adjusting means comprising a centrally located flanged weldnut, a disk aflixed to the bottom surface of the flange, a threaded adjusting stud depending from said weldnut and a plurality of supporting clips disposed on said disk at 120 intervals around the periphery, a first spring supporting disk threadably engaged on said stud, a spring fixed to the lower surface of said first spring supporting disk and fixed to the upper surface of a second spring supporting disk at the opposite end of said spring, said second spring supporting disk having a locating and locking clip aflixed to its lower surface, a locking wingnut disposed on said threaded stud above said first spring supporting disk and adapted to lock said first disk with said stud and a flip type freely resting dispensing head supported on said supporting clips, saidhead being freely removable from said clips when pressure is applied at the periphery of the head to pivot said head on two of said clips and a chain connected to said threaded stud at one end and to said lower spring supporting disk at the opposite end for limiting 6 the dispensing level and permitting the adjusting func- FOREIGN PATENTS 226,355 1/1960 Australia 312-71 References Cited CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 2,251,876 8/1941 Gibbs "312-71 2,609,265 9/1952 Larsen 31271 221279 

